Campus notes

FAMU mechanical engineering doctoral candidate Renee Gordon and biochemistry professor Ngozi Ugochukwu have been named Fulbright Scholars. The prestigious Fulbright Scholars Program is a highly competitive international education exchange program that awards grants to students, faculty or professionals who wish to study, teach and conduct research abroad. Both Gordon and Ugochukwu will conduct respective research on the indigenous resources of Nigeria. Gordon is the first student in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering to receive the Fulbright grant. Her research will focus on using biomass, specifically Nigeria’s cassava leaves, as a green alternative to case hardening steel.

FSU grad student studying in Bangladesh

An FSU graduate student will study in Bangladesh this summer after receiving a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship. Ian Reed, 28, of Austin, Texas, will spend eight weeks in an intensive language institute at the Independent University, Bangladesh in the capital city of Dhaka studying the Bengali language and gaining cultural enrichment experiences. The fully funded program is part of the U.S. government’s initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are less commonly taught. Reed is pursuing a master’s degree in religion. He is interested in studying the daily practices of Hindus and Muslims in Bangladesh and hopes to one day teach at a college or university after earning a doctorate.

FSU offers free training for start-ups

FSU students, faculty and staff looking to start a business will have a shot at a free crash-course in business development through a new boot camp hosted by the university. The FSU Office of Commercialization has partnered with the Georgia Tech’s VentureLab to offer the university community a free, six-week course introducing participants to the world of start-up ventures. One unique aspect of the course is that applicants don’t need to have a business idea to be accepted. The free, non-credit course runs from June 12 to July 25, with participants meeting every Friday for 90 minutes on FSU’s main campus. It is open to all students, faculty and staff at the university, but there are a limited number of spots. For more information or to register for the course, visit startupfsu.com

TCC, UWF form partnership

TCC and the University of West Florida have formed a new partnership: the TCC2UWF program. This program will provide students the opportunity to complete an associate’s degree program at TCC and transfer to UWF to complete a bachelor’s degree. UWF President Judy Bense and TCC President Dr. Jim Murdaugh introduced the program Friday at a signing ceremony. TCC and UWF will share joint coordination of the program, which includes executing outreach to high school students and other members of the community in an effort to encourage them to pursue an associate’s degree through TCC, while also providing tailored, intensive advising that will place students on a path toward a bachelor’s degree from UWF. For additional information on TCC2UWF, visit TCC2.UWF.edu.